Service Dog Requirements

A service dog is a type of assistance dog specifically trained to help those who have disabilities, including visual or hearing impairment, and also to help people with psychological disabilities including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression. If you are thinking of getting your dog trained for this, there are some character traits to look for which include good temperament or psychological make-up, good health including physical structure, trainability, and a natural obedient nature or biddability.

Some dogs are donated by private breeders, and some are selected from shelters. Any breed or mixture of breeds of dog might produce a representative capable of service work, though few dogs have all of the qualities in good health, temperament, biddability(naturally obedient), and physical agility needed. Such a dog might be called a "service dog" or an "assistance dog". Other names you may have heard include "helper dog," "aide dog," and "support dog."

Southland can assist, evaluate and determine if your dog meets these requirements. Contact us today for details.